NEW YORK, May 14, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seatrade Cruise Global 2018 was a banner year, as the leading annual global business-to-business event in the cruise industry featured more exhibitors, attendees and media than ever before. Closing out the conference’s three-year commitment at the Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center, multiple news announcements were made during the week including a new terminal design reveal for NCL, new ship orders by Ponant with Fincantieri and details of fleet innovations by Crystal Cruises. The highly-anticipated State of the Global Cruise Industry Keynote sponsored by Hong Kong Tourism Board did not disappoint along with disruptors Virgin Voyages and Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, who provided a glimpse into their plans for these new brands to cruise.
“With more than 11,000 attendees and a 13% increase in top cruise executive participation, the entire Seatrade Cruise Global 2018 team could not have asked for a more successful and memorable swan song in Fort Lauderdale – our gracious host city for the past three years,” says Chiara Giorgi, Brand Director for Seatrade Cruise Global. “The atmosphere was more charged than ever, buzzing with the addition of the Cruising Innovations Theater, more interactive show floor content, and of course the visually-stunning Survitec evacuation slide which gave attendees a ride from the third to second floor of the convention center! We can’t wait to keep the momentum going when we make our much-anticipated return to Miami in 2019.”
Panels moderated by top editors from outlets including Condé Nast Traveler, Departures and Surface covered a variety of topics including interior design, expedition cruising trends and geopolitical hot button issues. One of the highlights of this year’s Seatrade Cruise Global was also a table tennis tournament hosted by Adam Goldstein, president and chief operating officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. All for a good cause, the tournament raised funds for the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Foundation to benefit recovery efforts from last year’s hurricanes. Seatrade Cruise Global additionally made a donation of $30,000 bringing the total raised for the Foundation to $95,000.
In 2019 Seatrade Cruise Global will return to the stunning newly-remodeled Miami Beach Convention Center 8-11 April. Marking the 35th edition, the conference is partnering with Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) and the entire South Florida cruise and tourism community to celebrate Cruise Week 2019. The weeklong focus on the impact of cruising on the South Florida economy will begin with CLIA’s Cruise360, a professional development event for travel agents, taking place at Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center 3-8 April 2019.
Between 3 and 11 April 2019, attendees including top executives from all business involving cruising including cruise lines, international ports, shipyards as well as travel agents and international media will descend on greater Miami and Fort Lauderdale to participate in these conferences. In addition to exhibitions and panels in the convention centers, events will take place at surrounding hotels and attractions throughout South Florida. Port Everglades and Port of Miami will also host ship tours for attendees during Cruise Week 2019.
About Seatrade Cruise Global
Seatrade Cruise Global 2019 is taking place 8-11 April 2019 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The exhibition is the leading annual global business-to-business event for the cruise industry. Bringing together buyers and suppliers for a four-day conference and three-day exhibition, the gathering draws more than 11,000 registered attendees, over 700 exhibiting companies from 93 countries and more than 300 international journalists to become the cruise industry’s epicenter of ideas, products and services. A who’s who of the industry participate in a comprehensive panel of discussions featuring experts, leaders and thought-makers including the State of the Global Cruise Industry Keynote with the chief executives of the world’s largest cruise companies. Call +1-212-600-3260 or visit http://www.seatradecruiseglobal.com for more information.